How long should washing machine type hoses last?

[Michael Shergold]

Just had the second of these type of hoses (purpose manufactured with machine crimped ends) burst on me. This one very dramatically as it snapped clean off at the crimp point (the first just leaked at the crimping and spread water overnight across the floor). This one was on the output side of a water softener which has been installed for twelve years now so perhaps I should not complain; and of course we didn't notice until water started pouring out of a down stairs light switch. (the softener is upstairs). Perhaps I should change them every five or six years! Do they have a shelf life? i.e. is my five year old unused spare worth using now or should I go and purchase a completely new set. The washing machine and the dishwasher have the same type of hoses. Would I save more inconvenience (drying out the underfloor area and redecorating etc.) by replacing those all as well at the same time.. Whenever I've checked them at service intervals they show no signs of damage or where but it's hard to see with these crimped ends and smooth shiny coating. Anyone else had the same problem and perhaps some ideas.. Is there an electronic flood alarm that I could place in the underfloor space to alert us (if we happen to be in). I suspect this one blew when a toilet torbeck valve shut as they close with a bit of a thunk and that sudden pressure change might just have done the trick. If that was the case then it had been shedding water for about fiteen minutes but long enough to make a considerable mess..

Michael

[John]

I suppose shock loads imposed by some taps may cause earlier fatigue.

[Dave Liquorice]

Water hammer is very powerful and damaging. What has actually happened with the failed end, "snapped clean off at the crimp point" doesn't really tell us much. What snapped where? The plastic, the crimp, the hose?

A torbeck shouldn't shut with thunk has it got the right flow restrictor fitted? They come with two restrictors one for Low Pressure and one for High Pressure, giveing three fitting options no flow restrictor (below 1 bar/14psi (ie gravity fed, no more than about 30' head), the LP one (1 - 4 bar/14 to 60psi, low side of the normal range mains water pressure) or the HP one (over 4bar/60psi, high side of normal mains water pressure).

[John]

I get a thunk if I have left my hose pipe on the outside tap - with the gun on the end turned off. The hose must act as a recoil amplifier. It rattles the hoses behind the dishwasher and washer.

[The Medway Handyman]

Its possible that the softner had an effect on the hose. AFAIUI waters natural state is to contain impurities and if they are not present the water absorbs them from hoses etc.

These long pole window cleaning systems use softened water without detergent to remove dirt from windows. I've also had experience of pressure washers with oil fired heaters suffering damage to the heat exchangers when used on distilled water supplies.

. The washing machine and the dishwasher have the

You could fit a Sure Stop to the incoming main & switch the water off when away.

[James Salisbury]

Get a pressure reduction valve from most decent plumbers merchants, this will drop your very high mains pressure.

[Michael Shergold]

I've not actually had a chance to look at it yet as the softener was put into bypass and left while we cleared up the mess, lifted the nearby floor and soaked up the water, with towels, that was lying on the ceiling boards and among the electrics..etc. . Busy yesterday evening with visitors to do much so it's all been left until later today to replace the pipe, flooring etc and restart tthe softnener.. The torbeck restrictors are in place and anyway that was just a guess but various other devices cause the water thunk anyway. The worst is probably the dishwasher which was not in use mid afternoon.. The softener itself causes no thunking as the valves are rotary and slow moving and on the output side there is anyway some flow restriction due the the resin. The input hose at full mains pressure would have been much worse.. I found a site with various solutions

anyone any experience with any of these? Michael

[Tim Downie]

Oddly, ever since fitting my Surestop, I've been troubled with the water flow spurting briefly at high pressure when turning taps on before settling down to a steady flow. Anyone else had this?

Tim

[Toby]

There must be a restriction in your pipe work (possibly the sure stop) as you are getting an initial spurt at normal pressure, then getting a lower flow rate, which makes it look like a high pressure spurt...

Or maybe you have a section of pipe (Possibly a capped off run?) that is full of air somewhere acting like a spring!?

[Michael Shergold]

[Michael Shergold]

I don't think I said I had very high pressure. The local water company told me when I installed this softener 12 years ago that it's between 3.5 and 4 bar. All I said was that one of the Torbecks causes a slight thunk but it doesn't shake the pipes as others have mentioned on this thread. Michael